1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, a method for controlling the image forming apparatus, and a storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are some conventional techniques related to an image forming apparatus with which a certain function is limited.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-44476 discusses a technique for determining, if a certain function of an image forming apparatus fails, functions related to the failure and disabling the functions to perform degenerate operation. Thus, other functions not related to the failure can be consecutively used by a user.
There is an invention that enables an image forming apparatus with which a certain function is limited, to use other image forming apparatuses. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-47264 discusses a technique for enabling an image forming apparatus having a certain limited function to use functions of other image forming apparatuses. Thus, even if a user uses the image forming apparatus having a limited function, the user can obtain a desired result.
In recent years, a model called cloud computing has been attractive. Cloud computing is mainly characterized in that data conversion or data processing is performed in a distributed way by using a number of computing resources in order to simultaneously handle requests from a number of clients. Further, implementing various web services in a cloud computing environment achieving cloud computing enables providing diverse services to apparatuses that access the cloud computing environment.